Star Wars TTRPG Session Zero: Premade vs Custom Characters

If you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ve probably already imagined who you’d be in that galaxy far, far away. A Jedi, a pilot, a smuggler, a Rebel, an Imperial, a bounty hunter — maybe several of the above, depending on the day. That part tends to come easily.

Then you sit down to actually play the Star Wars TTRPG, look at the character sheet, and suddenly it feels… intimidating. Not because this game is uniquely complicated, but because every new TTRPG character sheet looks like a lot before you’ve played a session or two. Once you’ve made one character in a system, the next ones are always easier — it’s the first pass where all the skills and talents feel like alphabet soup.

Fortunately, the Star Wars TTRPG starter kits make that first step much easier. They come with premade characters you can pick up and play immediately — fully filled out with skills, careers, and abilities, plus a background already in place so you can jump straight into the story.

Which brings you to the real question: do you take the time to learn all the minutiae of skills and character options up front so you can build exactly what you want… or do you start with a premade, play a bit, learn what those numbers actually do at the table, and then come back and make your dream character once the system feels familiar?

If you're me, it's the former...but that's not the right fit for everyone.

Premade Characters in the Star Wars TTRPG: What They’re Actually Good For

Premade characters exist to lower the barrier to entry, not to limit creativity. In the Star Wars TTRPG specifically, they’re designed to let you learn the system in motion rather than in theory.

When you pick up a premade character, all the early decisions are already handled for you. Characteristics are set, skills are chosen, talents are selected, and the math works. You don’t have to know why a skill is ranked the way it is yet — you’ll learn that the first time it comes up in play, and you see how it affects the dice pool.

That’s the real value of a premade. It lets you focus on how the game feels at the table before you worry about optimisation or build choices. You get to see how often certain skills matter, what kinds of checks come up regularly, and how talents actually change what your character can do in practice — all without front-loading a lot of rules knowledge.

For many players, especially those new to the system, this makes Session Zero feel lighter and more inviting. You’re not committing to a permanent decision; you’re giving yourself a tutorial character.

When Using a Premade Character Makes the Most Sense

Premade characters shine when your main goal is to start playing quickly and build confidence through experience. If you’re new to the Star Wars TTRPG — or even just new to this particular dice system — playing a few sessions first can make later character creation dramatically easier.

Once you’ve rolled dice a handful of times, skills stop being abstract words on a page. You understand which checks you enjoy making, which situations your character tends to do well in, and where you might want more capability. At that point, making your own character isn’t intimidating anymore — it’s informed.

Premades are also especially useful for one-shots, short arcs, or tables where not everyone wants to engage deeply with character construction right away. They keep momentum high and decision fatigue low, which is exactly what Session Zero is supposed to do.

Creating Your Own Star Wars TTRPG Character: Why It Can Be Worth the Time

That said, there’s a reason so many players eventually want to build their own character.

Creating a custom character lets you align mechanics with a very specific fantasy — not just “a smuggler” or “a Force user,” but your smuggler, your Force user, with priorities, weaknesses, and narrative hooks that feel personal from the start.

If you already have a strong concept in mind, or if the premade options don’t quite fit the story you want to tell, taking the time to learn character creation can be deeply satisfying. You’re not just filling in boxes; you’re shaping how your character interacts with the world mechanically and narratively.

The key thing to remember is that this isn’t a one-time, irreversible test. The Star Wars TTRPG is built around growth and change. Characters evolve, specialisations expand, and early decisions don’t lock you into a narrow path forever.

Session Zero Isn’t About Choosing the “Right” Option

This is where Session Zero really earns its keep.

The decision between a premade character and a custom one isn’t about skill level or commitment. It’s about when you want to learn the system. Do you want to learn it up front, by reading and choosing deliberately? Or do you want to learn it through play, by seeing how the game actually works before you start making fine-tuned decisions?

Both approaches are valid. Both are supported by the system. And both lead to fun, functional characters at the table.

What matters most is picking the option that gets you playing without anxiety. If using a premade lets you relax and enjoy the first few sessions, that’s a win. If building your own character excites you and helps you feel invested from the start, that’s also a win.

You Can Always Change Your Mind Later

One of the most freeing things about the Star Wars TTRPG is that your first character choice doesn’t have to be your last.

Many groups start with premades and transition into custom characters once everyone feels comfortable. Others jump straight into character creation and learn the system together. Some do a mix of both at the same table.

There’s no hidden penalty for starting simple. There’s no bonus for starting complex. There’s just play, experience, and gradually understanding what kind of character — and what kind of story — you enjoy most.

My Own Choice: Create a Custom Character

I've loved Star Wars since I was five and have spent literal decades engaging with the franchise. I definitely had pre-conceived ideas about the kinds of characters I wanted to play, and the premade ones just didn't quite fit what I had in mind. That said, for my first-ever character, making one from scratch with a system I didn't yet understand was a bit of a pain, so I can totally see why people would just go with a premade one.

I spent hours figuring out every detail of my character, even though I didn't know yet how that would play out in-game. Choices I made before I ever played the game could end up hindering me later on, simply because I didn't know what those skills and talents would mean for gameplay.

But hey, I've got a Force-user adopted and trained at a young age by Emperor Palpatine, and who is now trying to prove her worth as an Emperor's Hand on Tatooine, where she's already screwed up her mission and got caught by the Hutts and is now trying to save her own life by fleeing the planet with some friends she made along the way...

For more about our table's Session Zero for this game, check out our podcast, Finding Atoria: